Almost everyone is believed to have used something involving Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially students in schools.
Even if you think you haven’t, you most likely have. Editing photos on your phone? Autocorrect? Streaming algorithms, social media feeds, and more. It’s everywhere, and you aren’t avoiding it forever.
AI is widely used throughout the day when writing essays, looking up answers, or just because students are bored.
Not too long ago, the Stroudsburg Area School District banned ChatGPT on computers, which is believed to leave students frustrated, while others are relieved, but ChatGPT was soon brought back.
According to Education Week, the rising use of AI in schools has been known to create downsides for students. About 85% of teachers and 86% of students used AI in the 2024-25 school year.
This led to many negative effects, such as students not being able to develop meaningful relationships with their teachers and peers. Students have been known to agree that using AI makes them feel this way. Another big negative effect is the decrease in research skills and critical thinking.
“Our research shows AI use in schools comes with real risks, like large-scale data breaches, tech-fueled sexual harassment and bullying, and treating students unfairly. Acknowledging those risks enables education leaders, policymakers, and communities to mount prevention and response efforts so that the positive uses of AI are not overshadowed by harm to students.
— Elizabeth Laird, Director of Equity in Civic Technology
.sno-pullquote-69ceb039cc58d { display: flex; float: left; margin: 30px 30px 30px 0; width: 50%; border-color: #888888; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; } .sno-pullquote-69ceb039cc58d p.pullquotetext, .sno-pullquote-69ceb039cc58d p.quotespeaker { } .sno-pullquote-69ceb039cc58d .pullquotepic { width: 33%; margin-left: 25px; } .sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-69ceb039cc58d p.pullquotetext { font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.4em; } .sno-pullquote-69ceb039cc58d .quotebar { background: #dddddd; flex: 0 0 90px; margin-top: -15px; margin-left: -15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; } .sno-pullquote-69ceb039cc58d .largequote { color: #888888; } .sno-pullquote-69ceb039cc58d .quotebody { width: unset; }Many teachers have been using AI in their curriculum and content development. About 24% of teachers said that the reason for the increased use of tech among them is due to the tools automatically adding AI features into their software. 69% of teachers said that AI has improved their teaching skills, but 71% has said that the use of AI has created a burden on them.
AI present numerous ethical concerns, such as whether or not a student wrote the essay they claim they wrote. This also creates a burden for students as well, as some individuals get flagged or get a zero on their assignments for using AI, even when they wrote it by themselves.
It is believed that many students have complained about failing assignments because they were accused of cheating. I asked about 50 students if any of their teachers use an AI checker, and 48 of them said yes. The use of AI checkers leaves the students questioning why the teachers are using AI to detect AI, as it is not accurate and gives different results with different detector websites.
Emmayah Pope, ‘27, wrote an essay for one of her classes, and when she put it into an AI checker, one website said 4% AI, another said 54% AI, and the last said 97% AI. “It was crazy because I typed it with my own two hands.”
“They’re useless,” says Mr. Wood, a Stroudsburg ELA teacher, “AI trackers seem to call anything written without errors AI, and that is not fair. Our intended goal, after all, is for you to write that way.”
Students can potentially not get credit they deserve for their hard work because AI used to catch AI is just as flawed as writing with it is. This could affect their overall grades and put them in a poor academic position.
In conclusion, AI has caused a burden on teachers and students alike during class, based on our information. It is believed to affect students’ grades and diminish their hard work, while making it harder for teachers to understand the logistics of AI and how it works.
It discourages students from being creative and using their critical thinking, as well as preventing them from creating relationships with teachers and peers. This creates an academic and social risk for students’ and teachers’ mental health, and has created a negative effect overall in a school environment.